Air control system



G. V. BARDET AIR CONTROL SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. George VBaraef ECKHOFF SLICK ATTO 5Y5 A member a #78 f/rm.

July 24, 1962 Filed Jan. 4, 1960 July 24, 1962 VG. v. BARDET AIR CONTROLSYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 4, 1960 K awr m R A 1 O JR Ta 0 e m 54 V. T f W F .0 @M 9 e r b w w GE m July 24, 1962 G. v. BARDET AIRCONTROL SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 4, 1960 i 5 E41 g 4-INVENTOR. George V. Ba aef m K W W f b e f f F n F r o m E July 24, 1962G. v. BARDET 3,045,361

AIR CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 4, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 "m F I l I J UH lo R o N N \9 INV EN TOR. Georg e M Bards 7" BY I %member of flu: fl'hnnited rates This invention relates to a method of sealing air ducts to aseries of trays as the trays are intermittently passed through amachine. More specifically, the invention has its primary application toa rice processing machine such as is described in application Serial No.786,141, filed January 12, 1959, now Patent No. 3,006,269. In saidpatent application a machine is described wherein a series of trays arecarried on endless chains past a series of stations. Mechanism isprovided whereby the chains move intermittently so that the trays arealternately stopped under a filling station, a heating station, twoseparate cooling stations and then discharged into a bin. In the heatingstation, hot air is blown from a duct through the material on the traysand at the two cooling stations cold air is blown through the material.It is obvious that in any such system it is important that a good sealbe effected between the tray and the ducts. The present invention isdirected towards a structure and mechanism whereby a substantiallyairtight seal is made with the duct work, both above and below the tray,as each tray is stopped at the successive stations.

In the drawings forming part of this application:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partially diagrammatic, showing theoverall structure of a rice treating machine embodying the presentinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 22 of FIGURE 1 showing the sealingmechanism in detail.

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 33 of FIGURE 1 showing the upperbellows structure.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a sealing frame.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the relationshipbetween the sealing frames and the path of travel of the trays.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged section on the line 66 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of FIGURE 1.

Turning now to a description of the invention by reference characters,there is shown a machine having a main framework generally designated 4and having attached thereto a subframe 5. Mounted within the frameworkare a series of sprockets 6 around which is trained a pair of endlesschains 8. Only one pair of chains is shown in the side elevation but asecond identical set is located on the opposite side of the treatingchamber as is more fully brought out in the above identified pendingapplication. The chains 8 carry a series of trays It) suspended betweenthem. At the heating station a duct 12 is provided leading to an airheater, not illustrated. Directly above this duct 12 is a second duct14, which may lead to the atmosphere or which may return all or aportion of the air to the air heated for reheating and recycling. At thecooling stations a duct 16 leads from a fan or blower to the two ducts18 and 20' while directly over these ducts are provided the exhaustducts 22 and 24 p which lead to the common duct 26 which goes to theatmosphere. It will be understood that the ducts 12 and 14 together withthe associated mechanical equipment constitute a heating station whilethe ducts 18 and 22 as well as 20 and 24 constitute two coolingstations. As is set forth in the aforesaid patent application, thechains 8 are given a start-stop motion so that the trays 10 aresuccessively filled, brought to the heating station, stopped While theheating operation takes place, moved to the first cooling station and soon.

In FIGURES 2 and 7 there is shown in detail the exact relationshipbetween the ducts and the tray. The endless chains 8 ride on the rail 28and pairs of adjacent links of the chain carry the members 30. Themembers 30 in turn ride on the guide rails 32. The main rails 28 extendbeyond the heating chamber as is shown at 23A and 2813, respectively, inFIGURE 7. The trays themselves are of generally circular configurationand have a side wall 34 and a screen bottom 36. The members 3% arewelded to the trays, as is shown in FIGURE 2, and serve to support thetrays. The trays also have a top sealing flange 38 and a bottom sealingflange 40.

Mounted above the end of duct 12, and spaced therefrom, is the bottomtray sealing ring 42. The ring 42 is connected to the duct 12 by aflexible member 44, suitably asbestos fabric. Mounted below the duct 14is the upper tray sealing ring 46. The upper sealing ring 46 isconnected by the flexible member 48 to the duct 14 which may be of thesame material as the member 44. It is thus apparent that the lowersealing ring 42 and the upper sealing ring 46 can each be displaced asubstantial distance vertically, yet still retain an airtightrelationship with the ducts 12 and 14 respectively. In addition, thelower sealing ring 42 is provided with a gasket 50 while the uppersealing ring is provide with a gasket 52. The gaskets 5th and 52 are ofa relatively soft, heat resistant, resilient material. Silicone rubberis well suited for this purpose. It will be apparent from FIGURES 2 and7 that if the upper sealing ring 46 is lowered and the lower sealingring 42 is raised, a substantially airtight seal will be provided withthe flanges 38 and 40' and the tray 10.

Although only one lower sealing ring and upper sealing ring andassociated equipment have been described, in actuality three identicalsets of upper and lower rings are provided for the heating station andthe two cooling stations, all as is shown in the drawings.

In order to actuate the several sealing rings in unison, two movablesealing frame 54 and 68 are provided. The sealing frames are identicaland are shown in plan view in FIGURE 4 and a section of the frame isshown in FIGURE 6. The frames consist of side rails 55 and 57 and crossrails 59, forming a series of square compartments. The rails are all ofthe box-like construction shown in FIGURE 6. Oblong holes 61 areprovided for attachment of the brackets which hold the sealing rings.The top sealing frame 54 is fastened to the top sealing ring 46 by meansof the L-shaped bracket 62 and the bolt 64. By the use of the doublenuts 56 and 56A, as well as the oblong holes 61, precise positioning ispossible. To facilitate the fastening, an alloy ring 66 is provided onthe upper sealing ring 46. A bolt 65 holds the ring 66 to the bracket62. To provide a similar action for the bottom sealing ring the bottomsealing ring the bottom sealing frame 68 is provided. The bottom sealingframe 68 is fastened to the bottom sealing ring 42 by means of theL-shaped bracket 70 and the bolt 71. A bolt 72 passes into the ring 74which is attached to the sealing ring 42. Precise positioning isprovided as described above. Here again it will be understood that thetop sealing frame is fastened to all of the top sealing rings while thebottom sealing frame is attached to all of the bottom sealing rings, sothat as each frame moves, all of the corresponding sealing rings move inunison.

To provide a means of actuating the top and bottom sealing frames, andthus the sealing rings, in unison a first bell crank 76 is providedwhich is attached to the shaft 78 which is mounted for rotation on thesubframe 5. A bell crank 80 of similar structure is attached to shaft 82and the arms are connected together a short distance from their fulcrumsby the rod 84 so that the cranks operate in unison. Corresponding armsof each of the bell cranks are linked through the rods 86 to the topsealing frame 54. The opposite arms of each of the bell cranks arelinked by means of the rods 88 to the lower sealing frame 68. The shafts78 and 82 extend to the opposite side of the machine where the bellcranks and rods are duplicated, so that both sides of both sealingframes are actuated together. The connecting rod 89 of pneumaticcylinder 90 is linked to the bell crank 76 as illustrated. Thus, as thepiston of the cylinder 90 is actuated to the right the bell cranks 76and 80 are rotated in a clockwise direction on their shafts, loweringthe upper sealing frame 54 and raising the lower sealing frame 68 sothat the parts are brought in sealing relationship as is illustrated inFIG URE 2. A movement to the left reverses the process and trees thetrays so that they can be moved.

The lines 91 and 93 of cylinder 90 are connected to the correspondinglines of controller 92 which is also connected to the drive motorassembly 94 so that the trays and sealing mechanism are actuated insynchronism. In other words, pressure is first applied through line 93which releases the upper and lower sealing rings, freeing the series oftrays, and the controller causes the motor 94 to advance the trays oneposition and stop. Pressure is then applied to line 91, bringing theparts into sealing relationship, whereupon air can be blown through thetrays. At the end of the blowing cycle, the series of steps is repeated,as described.

I claim:

1. In a machine for treating a particulate solid wherein the solid isplaced on a tray, passed between upper and lower air ducts wherein airis blown through the tray, and the trays then removed from the ducts,the improvement comprising an upper sealing ring on the upper duct and alower sealing ring on the lower duct, a plurality of substantiallyairtight flexible members, one of said members connecting each of saidsealing rings to its rcspective duct and means whereby said uppersealing ring and said lower sealing ring may be moved towards each otherto grasp a tray therebetween and establish substantially airtightcommunication with said tray, and means whereby said upper sealing ringand said lower sealing ring can be moved in opposite directions torelease said tray.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein a series of trays and an endless beltare employed said belts carrying said trays and wherein a controllerbrings each tray successively in juxtaposition with said ducts, saidcontroller causing said sealing rings to be actuated into sealingrelationship and subsequently causing said rings to be actuated inopposite directions and said controlling means causing a repetition ofthe cycle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

